Wednesday, October 9

Groups file lawsuit to reopen Florida’s voter registration amid hurricanes

• Voting rights groups sued Florida state officials to reopen voter registration amid Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The lawsuit comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ignored pleas from dozens of civic groups to extend Monday's registration deadline.

  
  

• Across the south, hurricanes are creating huge obstacles for voting in the upcoming election. In a new YouTube video, Democracy Docket’s Sophie Feldman breaks down the measures being taken to ensure voters can cast their ballots with less than one month until Election Day.

West Virginia GOP already questioning legitimacy of 2024 election

• In West Virginia, Republicans and Democrats are already clashing over the results of the presidential race. A group of GOP lawmakers introduced a proposal to not recognize the election outcome in certain circumstances, which quickly died. Read here to learn more.

Since Jan. 1, 2023

The RNC was busy in courts yesterday

• The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a lawsuit to prevent some U.S. citizens who are living abroad from voting absentee in Michigan — a critical battleground state in the 2024 election.

  
  

• Also, the RNC moved to intervene in a lawsuit from pro-voter groups asking the state of Georgia to extend its voter registration deadline due to severe disruptions from Hurricane Helene. The GOP is against extending the deadline, which has already passed.

  
  

• The RNC filed a motion to defend a Georgia law that makes it easier to remove eligible voters from the rolls by further enabling mass voter challenges. Civil rights groups say the law may disenfranchise unhoused people, students and voters living in shelters.

Judge dismisses case asking for investigation of Georgia State Election Board

• A judge dismissed a lawsuit from Georgia Democrats who sought to force Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to act on ethics complaints filed against three MAGA members of the State Election Board. The judge said the charges weren't formal and don't require action.

New Mexicans with prior felony convictions can vote in November

• New Mexicans whose voter registration applications were wrongly denied due to past felony convictions will be able to vote this November after pro-voting groups and officials came to an agreement to correct the state's rights restoration process.

Lawsuit fights for fair representation in Louisiana’s capital

• Local representatives can have a major impact on voters' daily lives. In a new guest opinion piece, Peter Robins-Brown and William Most explain why Black voters in Louisiana's East Baton Rouge Parish are fighting for fair maps at the hyper-local level.